Africa-Press – Botswana. On March 1, the nation lost one of its national heroines, Mrs Julia Molefhe, who has contributed immensely to the development of Botswana’s health sector.
Mrs Molefhe, a former nurse, whose dedication and contribution to the health sector was honoured through the naming of a Block 9 clinic after her, worked in various central government hospitals countywide for more than 37 years before her retirement in 1998.
Born on January 2, 1938 in South Africa, Mrs Molefhe did her primary education in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, and went to Alexandra High to complete her high school.
In 1958, she travelled to Botswana to train as a nurse and was warmly welcomed by the Lobatse community. She was amongst the first five nurses in the then Bechuanaland Protectorate to register and be trained in general nursing, a programme she completed in 1961.
After her training, the late Mrs Molefhe worked in various central government hospitals in Lobatse, Serowe, Francistown and Maun, with her day-to-day responsibilities including being in charge of various wards at the facilities.
She met and married her husband Mr Potlako Molefhe in Serowe 60 years ago. Together they travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) as part of the first group of young Batswana for further training.
Mrs Molefhe studied and completed nursing two years later in Sheffield in the UK. Her training focused on midwifery, public health and pre-mature nursing of pre-term babies. She also did supplementary training in nursing on gynecology, obstetrics and public health.
In 1963 in the UK, she furthered her studies in nursing and completed the course in Sheffield in 1965, focusing on midwifery, public health and pre-mature nursing of pre-term babies.
Her first contact with nursing care agencies was whilst she was abroad where she gained exposure in the home-based care services provided to the community.
Many years later when she retired, she opened the first nursing care agency in Botswana called the Kagiso Nursing Agency, a dream she had held on to.
Following her return to Botswana in 1966, Mrs Molefhe worked for Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) in Lobatse as an Industrial Nursing Sister. At that time, the BMC was a major contributor to Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product and the organisation was significantly involved in the social upliftment of communities.
Setting up a clinic, the first of its kind in the country, was a major milestone for her. The clinic offered public health programmes for the Lobatse community.
In 1969 she moved to Gaborone and initiated the upgrading of Bontleng Clinic in Gaborone from a two-roomed house to the modern health facility it is today. Bontleng Clinic still operates and provides various services for the public at the site.During that period, the late Mrs Molefhe worked alone for a year and six months providing child welfare, treatment of minor ailments, ante-natal and post-natal family planning at Bontleng Clinic.
Her selfless commitment and determination to assist members of the public on medical issues and to provide good nursing care to the communities nearby, was the beginning of a professional journey that led to the establishment of up to 13 clinics and 3 maternity centres which employed over 300 people.
In the eighties when Princess Marina Hospital was upgraded to a referral hospital, Mrs Molefhe initiated the upgrade of Gaborone City Council Clinics and with the assistance of the World Bank embarked on an expansion project that catered for a growing Gaborone population and nearby villages.
She was co-opted in the design, furnishing and planning of all clinics including the last to be built before she retired, now known as Julia Molefhe Clinic, which provides integrated health services.Caring for the health of school going children particularly at a primary level was yet another one of her goals.
The first school health programme in Gaborone commenced in 1978 whose objective was to minimise outbreaks of children related illnesses through immunisation and educating communities.
The programme is now countrywide and has been extended to cover conditions such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Mrs Molefhe’s career was not only been restricted to the practical side of nursing. She was also an instructor, teaching family planning on the Meharry In-Service Training programme at the National Health Institute in Gaborone and for Family Welfare Educators at Sebele.
Her involvement in the community continued even after her retirement from formal employment. Her post retirement roles included the first Old Age Home in Gaborone where she was a Board member, Botswana Youth Centre where she had been a board member since the centre’s inception in 1991. Mr Molefhe was an active member of the Anglican Mothers Union which was an affiliate of the International Christian fellowship movement.At the time of her death, the late Mrs Molefhe was a member of amongst others, the Botswana Retired Nurses Society, Gaborone Music Society, fundraising committee of Botswana Young Women Christian Association.
During her career, she received a Community Award at The First Lady’s Charity Gala Fund which raised funds for various non- governmental organisations and was also granted a World Horizon’s International Award for involvement in building and establishing the Botswana Youth Centre.
Mrs Molefhe’s memorial service will be held tomorrow and she will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
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